Shoe supporting jack



May 29, 1934. F. a KEALL El AL snon' SUPPORII'ING JACK Filed Dec. 31, 1931 Y ,WWNW/PE W Qm times the practice to color by hand the sole edge Patented May 29, 1934 PATENT OFFEQE SHOE SUPPORTING JACK Frank Bycroft Keall and Alfred Harrington, Leicester, England, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 31, 1931, Serial No. 584,188 In Great Britain January 16, 1931 22 Claims. (01. 12123) The present invention relates to shoe-supporting jack mechanisms and is illustrated as embodied in a jack mechanism adapted to support a shoe during an operation about its periphery and arranged to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means to transfer the point of operation progressively about the periphery of the shoe. 1

In the manufacture of shoes, it is still someand the heel surfaces with ink, stain or paint, according to the finish desired. To do this an operator picks up the shoe and carefully colors the sole edge using a small brush, then using a l fi' larger brush he colors the surfaces of the heel,

Qfifiespecially that of coloring or staining the sole edge,

assuming of course that the heel is such as to require coloring and is not a covered wood heel or the like.

It will be appreciated that these operations, and

call for some considerable degree of care and skill on the part of the operator if done neatly and expeditiously and in a manner such as to avoid undesirably marking the upper. It will also be seen that the shoe should be held and turned over by the operator as he applies the brush around the periphery of the sole edge in a manner such that he will obtain as clear a view as possible of the progress of the operation and such that the sole edge will present itself conveniently to the brush. The shoe usually has a last inside it, making it relatively heavy and awkward to handle and consequently the holding and turning over of the shoe in one hand while the coloring matter is applied by a brush held in the other hand, in the course of the hundreds of operations performed during a days Work, results in fatiguing the operator and thus causing a falling off both in the quantity and in the quality of his output.

In view of the foregoing one object of the present invention is to relieve the operator of the burden of supporting the shoe in his hand during an operation thereon in order to increase the quantity and improve the quality of his output.

A further object of the invention is to provide a jack in which the jacking and unjacking of a shoe may be effected with the greatest possible facility.

To these ends, a feature of the present invention contemplates the provision of a novel shoe supporting jack mechanism comprising a rotatable jack frame supported for angular adjustment thereof in a vertical'plane, and shoe supporting means mounted in said frame and arranged to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means, thereby to transfer the point of operation progressively about the periphery of the shoe bottom.

Another feature of the invention resides in improved means for unjacking a jacked shoe. As illustrated, and in accordance with this feature, a shoe supporting jack mechanism comprising upper engaging means and shoe bottom engaging means relatively movable to jack a shoe therebetween is provided with treadle actuated means for moving the shoe bottom engaging means to unjack a jacked shoe.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims, the advantages of which will be understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of our novel shoe supporting jack; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations of certain parts shown in Fig. 1.

The jack proper is mounted on a stem 1 which is carried in a slot 3 at the top of a column 5. The lower end of the stem 1 is located in a rounded socket 7 in the bottom surface of the slot 3, and there is rigidly fixed to the stem a curved plate 9 which bears against the top surface of the column 5. The angular position of the stem 1, and so of the Whole jack, to the vertical may be adjusted on loosening bolts 11 which screw into holes 13 in the top of the column and pass through slots 15 in the plate 9 and thereafter retightening them to hold the plate 9 and so the stem 1 in adjusted position. The column 5 is supported in a bore in a stand 17 and can be moved vertically to adjust the level of the jack.

A U-shaped jack frame 21 is rotatably mounted on ball bearings 19 upon the stem 1. An arm or spindle 23 is rotatably mounted in a thrust bearing 25 at one side of the frame 21, and car-. ries a U-shaped member or brace 2'? (Fig. 3), the arms of which may be rubber covered, and a pad 29. In bearings at the other side of the frame 21 a rod or spindle 31 is slidably and rotatably mounted in alinement with the axis of the bear- 1 ing 25. A spring 33 acting on a collar 35 fixed to the operator firstadjusts it to the most convene ient height and angular disposition. Having made these adjustments which should be more or less permanent he depresses the treadleof the jack and inserts the shoe into the jack, the U-. shaped member 27 straddling the top front portion of the upper and the pad 29 being disposed against the toe portion.

Upon releasing the treadle the spring 33 urges the pad 37 against the shank portion of the sole and the shoe is held firmly in the jack. While it is so held in the jack it will be seen that it can be turned about two definite axes, in the first place about the axis of the bearing 25 and in the second place about the axis of the bearing 19.

If, therefore, the operator lays one hand upon the shoe while in the other he holds the brush with which he is to apply ink or stain to the sole edge, he can turn the shoe about the axis of the bearing so that all parts of the sole edge are 25 made easily accessible to his brush. Further, "some operators find it convenient to alter the angle between their brush and the plane of the sole at different points of the sole edge. The brush used for edge inking is frequently of the a size and shape of a tooth-brush and it is a common practice to ink the edge of the forepart of the hole with the general length direction of the brush lying in the plane of the forepart of the sole but to ink the shank portion with the length di- ..,rection of the brush more or less perpendicular to the general plane of the sole.

The brush is used in this latter manner to take account of the greater inaccessibility of the shank portion of the sole edge. It will be remarked that when .,the shoe-is held in the jack and turned about the "axis of the bearing 25 to present different parts of the sole edge to the brush, it may also be turned about the axis of the bearing 19 so that the angle between the brush and the plane of the sole may easily be altered as desired without necessitating the operator altering his hold on the brush. Thus it will be clear that the illustrated jack provides a very convenient method of supporting a shoe during the inking operation.

After the edge (and the heel edge surface, if this be desired) has been colored the shoe may be easily removed from the jack after depressing the treadle to retract the pad 37 from the sole.

It has already been stressed herein that ease of jacking and unjacking constitutes an important advantage of the illustrated jack. With the construction shown in Fig. 1, when a shoe is not in the jack, the arm 23 will, by gravity, settle so that the sides of the U-shaped member 2'7 will lie in parallel vertical planes. That is, in jacking a "shoe the operator will have to move the shoe vertically downward to put it between the sides of the U-shaped member 2'7. It is not important, however, that the U-shaped member come to rest -in a vertical plane. Indeed, it might come to rest .Ipresent invention is not limited to a jack in which the work feeding movements are so effected but, on the contrary, the invention may be embodied in shoe supporting jack mechanisms in which work feeding movements are automatically imparted to the shoe.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

.1. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, toe engaging means, instep engaging means, and shoe bottom engaging means arranged to support a shoe and to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means, thereby to transfer the point of operation .progressively about the entire periphery of the shoe bottom.

2. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a toe support, an instep support, and shoe bottom engaging means intermediate said toe support and instep support arranged to press a shoe against said supports and arranged, together with said supports, to rotate about a common axis to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means.

3. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotatable jack frame, forepart engaging means and shoe bottom engaging means mounted in said frame and arranged to support a shoe therebetween and to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means, thereby to transfer the point of operation progressively about the periphery of the shoe bottom.

4. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotatable jack frame, forepart engaging means and shoe bottom engaging means arranged to support a shoe therebetween and pivotally mounted in said frame on a common aXis so disposed in relation to the jack frame that turning movement of the shoe is permitted relatively to an operating means.

5. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotatable jack frame, forepart engaging means and shoe bottom engaging means arranged to support a shoe therebetween and pivotally mounted in said frame on a common axis disposed at an angle to the axis of the jack frame and disposed in a relation to the jack frame such that turning movement of the shoe is permitted relatively to an operating means in order to transfer the point of operation progressively about the periphery of the shoe bottom.

6. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotatable jack frame supported for angular adjustment thereof in a vertical plane, and shoe supporting means mounted in said frame and arranged to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means, thereby to transfer the point of operation progressively about the periphery of the shoe bottom.

7. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, shoe upper engaging means and shoe bottom engaging means arranged to permit the rotation of the shoe about two distinct axes thereby to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means to vary the angular position of the shoe relatively thereto and to transfer the point of operation progressively about the'periphery of the shoe bottom.

8. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a jack supporting stand, a stem pivotally mounted therein, a jack frame pivotally mounted on the stem, forepart engaging means and'shoe bottom engaging means mounted in 0;

the jack frame and arranged to support a shoe therebetween and arranged to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means.

9. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotary shoe support constructed and arranged to engage the toe and instep of an upper and shoe bottom engaging means relatively movable to jack a shoe therebetween, and treadle actuated means for unjacking a jacked shoe.

10. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a shoe upper engaging member, a shoe bottom engaging member, yieldingly actuated means for moving the shoe bottom engaging member to jack a shoe, and treadle actuated means for moving the shoe bottom engaging member to unjack a jacked shoe.

11. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a shoe bottom engaging member, and a forepart engaging member so constructed and arranged that it is normally held by its own weight in position to support a shoe arranged with its bottom substantially upright and its heel end uppermost.

12. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a jack frame, a shoe bottom engaging member pivotally mounted in said frame, and a forepart engaging member pivotally mounted in said frame on a common axis with said shoe bottom engaging member, said forepart engaging member being so constructed and arranged that it is normally held by its own weight in position to support a shoe arranged with its bottom substantially upright and its heel end uppermost.

13. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a plurality of shoe upper engaging members and a shoe bottom engaging member so positioned relatively to the upper engaging members that a jacked shoe is thereby held in contact with each of said upper engaging members.

14. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a toe engaging member, a fork arranged to embrace the shoe upper and engage opposite sides thereof, and a shank engaging member arranged to clamp the shoe against said toe engaging member and said shoe embracing fork.

15. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotatable jack frame, shoe upper engaging means comprising a toe engaging member pivotally mounted in said frame and a shoe embracing fork fixed to said toe engaging member, and shoe bottom engaging means comprising a shank engaging post pivotally mounted in said jack frame and arranged to clamp the shoe against said shoe upper engaging means.

16. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, shoe upper engaging means and shoe bottom engaging means constructed and arranged to permit manual rotation of the shoe about two distinct axes, thereby to vary the angular position of the shoe bottom relatively to an operating means and to transfer the point of operation progressively about the periphery of the shoe bottom.

17. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a spindle constructed and arranged to engage the forepart of the upper of a shoe, a spindle coaxial with the forepart engaging spindle and constructed and arranged to engage the bottom of the shoe, and means for yieldingly urging said spindles toward each other in order to jack a shoe therebetween.

18. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a spindle constructed and arranged to engage the toe and instep of the upper of a shoe, a spindle coaxial with the toe engaging spindle and constructed and arranged to engage the shank of the shoe, and means for yieldingly urging said spindles toward each other in order to jack a shoe therebetween.

19. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a shank engaging spindle, a toe engaging pad, and an instep support all arranged to turn about a common axis in order to permit movement of the shoe relatively to an operating means.

20. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a rotary shank engaging member, and a shoe upper engaging member arranged in opposition to the shank engaging member, said shoe upper engaging member comprising a toe engaging pad and an instep engaging brace arranged to turn about the axis of the rotary shank engaging member.

21. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a U -shaped frame, a rotary shank engaging member journaled in a bearing at one side of said frame, a toe engaging arm fulcrumed in the opposite side of said frame and normally inclined downwardly in the plane of said U-shaped frame, and an instep engaging brace secured to said toe engaging arm and normally extending upwardly therefrom.

22. A shoe supporting jack mechanism having, in combination, a U-shaped frame, a rotary shank engaging member journaled in a bearing at one side of said frame, a toe engaging arm fulcrumed in the opposite side of said frame, and an instep engaging brace mounted on said toe engaging arm and arranged for adjustment lengthwise of a shoe supported by said jack mechanism.

FRANK BYCROFT KEALL. ALFRED HARRINGTON. 

